USA Concert Honor Wind Ensemble

High School Students in Grades 9-12 are Eligible to Apply!

Friday, January 6 - Sunday, January 8, 2017University of South Alabama Campus

We welcome students in grades 9-12 to apply for the University of South Alabama Concert Honor Wind Ensemble to be held
January 6-8, 2017 on the campus of the University of South Alabama! Hosted in the
state-of-the-art Laidlaw Performing Arts Center, students will experience a rewarding
weekend of music-making with nationally recognized conductor and music educator, David
M. McKee, Senior Instructor of Music and Director of Athletic Bands at Virginia Tech,
in Blacksburg, VA. Students can apply online beginning on October 15, 2016.

Clinician and Conductor: David M. McKee, Virginia Tech

David McKee is in his thirty-first year at Virginia Tech, where he serves as director
of The Marching Virginians and Senior Instructor of Music, conducting the University
Symphony Band. A native of Lynchburg, he received his B.M.E. from Shenandoah Conservatory
of Music in 1976 and his M.A.Ed. from Virginia Tech in 1986. He joined Virginia Tech
as a graduate assistant in 1984 and took over as Director of the Marching Virginians
in 1986.

Under his direction, The Marching Virginians have performed throughout the nation
for football games, parades and other activities, sharing performances with bands
with such schools as the University of Texas, Florida State University, and the University
of Tennessee. In addition to a demanding schedule of performances throughout the football
season, The Marching Virginians are the model of Ut Prosim serving the university
community through nineteen Hokies for the Hungry canned food drives, two collaborative
hurricane relief trips to New Orleans with the YMCA Student Programs at Virginia Tech,
and countless performances and presentations for public school students in the region.
In the spring of 2009, the Marching Virginians partnered with Community Housing Partners
to build a home in honor of Ryan “Stack” Clark, a band member and victim of the 2007
campus shooting. Under McKee’s guidance, the Marching Virginians Alumni Association
has developed into an exceptional source of networking and funding for the Marching
Virginians, providing millions of dollars of support to the band. In the fall of 2015,
the Marching Virginians opened the new Marching Virginians Center, a collaborative
effort by the Department of Athletics, the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences,
and the support of hundreds of alumni, friends and families of the band.

In addition to directing The Marching Virginians, McKee teaches aural skills and conducts
the Symphony Band during the spring semester. Throughout the nation he is an active
guest conductor, clinician, and advocate for music education in the public schools.
At the 2007 Virginia Music Educators Association Conference in Norfolk, he served
as a percussionist, orator, and conductor within the span of forty-eight hours. In
2005, Mr. McKee was awarded a Certificate of Teaching Excellence by the College of
Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. He is a member of the ACC Band Directors Association,
past-president of the Big East Band Directors Association and has served on the Athletic
Band Advisory Committee of the College Band Directors National Association. He and
his wife, Charlotte, celebrated their fortieth anniversary in the summer of 2016.
They are the proud parents of three adult children.

Audition Process

Students currently in grades 9-12 can apply online beginning October 15, 2016 through a registration link on the Department of Music website. All students must
provide a web link to their audition etude excerpt performed on video/audio through
(this can be through Dropbox, YouTube, or Google Drive).

Percussionists should prepare two minimum 30 second excerpts from two of the three 2017 Alabama All State HS Exercises for Percussion (any combination of Snare, Mallet,
and Timpani). A minimum 30 second excerpt of each selected etude is required (please state measure
numbers in your recording).

Honor Wind Ensemble Features

• Host Concert provided by the University of South Alabama Wind Ensemble and more!

• Honor Wind Ensemble Finale Concert

Costs

There is no cost to apply for the University of South Alabama Concert Honor Wind Ensemble.
Students who are selected for this event will pay a $40.00 registration fee. This
registration fee covers the costs of all features and activities.